Whitewater and Wildlife....A Recipe for Birthday Success!

Since the river is my favorite place to be and I had such an awesome time last year on Hells Canyon of the Snake River, I could think of no better place to celebrate my birthday.

I have spent a good amount of time this summer getting used to my new NRS cataraft and learning how to row.  Launching at Hells Canyon Dam the morning of my birthday offered the best present ever, the opportunity to step it up and row some harder rapids.

The warm water and good level provided the perfect training ground.  I was able to row big water class IV rapids for the first time, increasing my confidence.  This was exactly what I needed.  Plus, there were big recovery periods after the rapids for celebration! :)

As an added bonus, the weather was fantastic! Our camps were sandy and beautiful with great beaches to go swimming and SUPing.  We were even visited by some Bighorn Sheep!

I'm pretty sure this year is gonna be a good one!!

A True Wonder

Inspired by Christie and Drew's trip a few years ago, I have been crossing my fingers for a permit for the Enchantments.  I was lucky enough to get a cancellation permit this year for the Colchuck Zone. Thrilled, Nick and I dusted off our packs and headed to Leavenworth.

The hike to Colchuck Lake was a nice cruise with some beautiful scenery.

Bright and Early at the Trailhead

Crossing Mountaineer Creek

Awesome Trail!

Little Colchuck Lake

After setting up camp and checking out Aasgard Pass, we decided to enjoy the lake for the day and set out early for a long day hike into the Core Enchantment Zone the next morning.

Enjoying Colchuck Lake

Home Sweet Home

Aasgard Pass was brutal, climbing roughly 2,000 feet in just under a mile.  Stepping into the Enchanted Lakes Basin made it all worth it though.  It was so expansive and beautiful that the photos will by no means do it justice.

Colchuck Lake was Quiet with our Early Start

We Made It!!
Check out how little Colchuck Lake is!

Isolation Lake

Enchantment Lakes Basin

Crystal Lake

Inspiration and Perfection Lakes

Perfection Lake Going into Sprite Lake

Sprite Lake

Taking a Break at Lake Viviane

Back at camp at Colchuck Lake we were visited by some goats, got to see some beautiful sunsets, and were even lucky enough to get a full moon!

The Beginning of a Beautiful Sunset

Goats!

Sunset on Little Colchuck Lake

This trip was one of the greatest four day trips I could imagine! It's hard to believe it is all only a couple of hours away.

Island Getaway

One of my first introductions to kayaking was in Southeast Alaska while working at Glacier Bay National Park for a summer. On employee days off, the day cruise boats would drop us off with seas kayaks up near the glaciers and we would island hop for a few days until the boat came back for us. I was hooked after a summer of paddling amongst humpback whales, bioluminescent algae, and northern lights. Shortly after that I learned how to roll and switched gears to whitewater paddling, but I've always wanted to give sea kayaking another go.

Last year my husband and I opened a “choose your own adventure” wedding gift from a group of friends and one of the options was a sea kayaking trip to the San Juan Islands, Washington. We had both been wanting to see the San Juans for a long time and enthusiastically opted for the kayaking adventure this summer. It was especially fun because all we had to do was load up our drybags with gear and food for four days and all the details and itinerary were taken care of for us!

The trip was booked for a sunny week in July and after a pretty ferry ride to Friday Harbor, we were united with a tandem sea kayak. The rental company gave us some great tips on how to ride the tides, self rescue, and not get lost in the fog. They oriented us with a map and tide chart and we loaded up the boat and set off through the waves. There were two nice things I immediately noticed about sea kayaking that make it different from whitewater self-supports: You can cover much longer distances in a short amount of time in a 20 ft. boat with two paddlers, and you can take a lot more beverages. It is just as scenic as backpacking but you don't have to carry all your gear!

For the next three days we did a great loop from San Juan Island, to Jones Island, to Blind Island State Park, and around Shaw Island. My favorite time to paddle was early in the morning when the air was foggy and quiet and the water was glassy and full of wildlife. We missed whale season, but everywhere we looked there were fish jumping, seals napping, otters playing, and bald eagles fishing. At low tide it was neat to check out the tide pools for crabs, anemones and star fish.

Catching the early morning tide

Channel crossing

seals

tide pools

Every afternoon we rolled up to a new island, set up camp, and found a nice beach to relax on. There were some fun hiking trails, beautiful viewpoints, and incredible sunsets. I also spent some time looking at all the other islands on the map. There are so many to explore and it would be possible to make a trip as difficult or leisurely as you want. So many options! We had an unforgettable recon trip and it definitely sparked my interest in more sea kayaking opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. I can hardly wait to start planning the next trip!

San Juan Island

Jones Island

Yellow Island 

Blind Island